Page 265 - Child's own book

the faiiy saw the queen s distress at thiSj she said to her : 4f I
entreat your majesty, do not thus afflict yourself; your daughter
shall possess so much wit, that nobody will perceive her want
of beauty.”— 14 This would he a great comfort to me, indeed,”
cried the queen; 44 but cannot you bestow a small share of the
game charming talent on the princess who is so beautiful ? tf“-
*l This is not in my power,’’ answered the fairy li I cannot
meddle with her mind, but I can do all I please with respect to
her beauty; and, therefore, as there is nothing that I would
not do for your sake, I wilL bestow on her a gift, that she
shall be able to make the person whom she loves as handsome
as she pleases.”
As the two young ladies grew up, nothing was talked of but
the beauty of the eldest* and the wit and talents of the youngest.
It is true, their defects grew in the same degree ; for the
youngest became every day more ugly, and the eldest moTe
senseless and stupid. She either did not reply at all to the
questions that were asked her, or spoke in as silly a manner
as could be* She was so very awkward, too, that if she had to
place half-a-dozen tea-cups on the chimney-piece, she was sure
to break one of them | or, if she tried to drink a glass of water,
she spilt half of it upon her clothes. Though beauty is a great
charm to a young lady, yet the youngest princess was thought
more of by every one than the eldest. To be sure, people went
first to the eldest, to see and admire h e r; but they soon left
her, to hear the clever and pleasing talk of her sister ; so that,
in less than a quarter of an hour, the eldest always found
herself alone, while all strangers got as near as they could
to the youngest. Though the eldest was very stupid, yet she
noticed all this, and would gladly have parted with her beauty,
to gain but half the wit of her sister. The queen, for all her good­
nature, coaid not JieJp scolding her now and then, for being so